NILE Releases Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Code of Professional Standards (DEI-CPS)

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FAIRFAX, VA - Over the last year and a half, the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics (NILE) has worked to understand the lack of diversity within the lobbying profession. We have undergone a collaborative effort through our DEI Task Force to develop professional standards crafted by lobbyists for lobbyists. The lobbying profession has never been seen as an accessible profession, based largely on “who you know” relationships. Our goal is to break down these barriers to entry and promote diversity through new approaches to hiring, retention, and career advancement by proactively eliminating implicit and explicit bias.

To achieve this goal, today NILE released a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Code of Professional Standards (DEI-CPS) with a goal to begin to address the inequities within the profession. The DEI-CPS aims to help government affairs/lobbying firms, organizations, and associations/unions build diverse teams through:

• Infrastructure-Building, Self-Assessment and Reporting

• Education & Training

• Hiring and Pipeline Initiatives

• Retention

• Career Advancement & Leadership

NILE is putting real action and resources behind our public commitment to these professional standards by offering support for the efforts of DEI-CPS signatories through the following initiatives:

• Offering free educational and training programs to be used as a resource,

• DEI resources tailored for our profession,

• NILE has established an annual intern grant that will be awarded to firms, organizations, or associations to encourage them to pay interns as a means of breaking down barriers to entry into the profession,

• Expanding our mentorship program to include a diverse mix of voices and experiences, and lastly

• NILE commits to project our commitment to diversity through our chosen speakers, panelists, and instructors for all NILE programs.

NILE encourages every lobbyist and their respective organization, firm, business, or company to join us in not only signing the professions first DEI Code of Professional Standards, but proactively implementing the best practices outlined in the DEI-CPS.

We are excited to share the profession’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Code of Professional Standards and hope you join us.

View the DEI-CPS

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